Chalet Grizzly in Ellmau with the Wilder Kaiser in the background
Your hosts & the bear story

About us.

Elfi & Alois KnürrMartina, the housekeeperA bear who stayed
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Who is behind the house

Two hosts, a housekeeper, and a bear who simply stayed.

Chalet Grizzly is a family house, not a hotel. You notice it in the warm, homely atmosphere.

In winter we clear the path to the piste in the morning. Elfi and Alois are here for you, together with Martina, the housekeeper, and look after you personally.

Why Grizzly? Book direct
Who we are

Elfi, Alois & Martina.

No reception desk, no telephone queue. Three people who know you by name, and whom you are welcome to call by theirs.

Chalet Grizzly in summer with wooden balconies, flowers and the Wilder Kaiser
Hosts

Elfi & Alois Knürr

For many years Elfi and Alois have run the house on the Kirchbichl the way they would like to be welcomed themselves: personally, warmly and without fuss. They have been at Chalet Grizzly for years and know Ellmau and the Wilder Kaiser country around it inside out. As grandparents of three and with two dogs in the family, they know what families with children and dogs need, and they pay attention to it.

  • Personal hosts with heart and experience
  • Tips for family days out
Grizzly Suite: wooden staircase with carved balustrade
Housekeeper

Martina

Martina is on site: she does the check-in, shows you the apartment, the ski room and the sauna, puts you down for your first sauna slot and can be reached seven days a week if something is missing, whether a light bulb, a travel cot or an idea for a rainy day. If you arrive at nine in the evening, there is still someone with a key. If you ask, Martina will tell you which bakery to order your morning rolls from.

  • Check-in from 3 pm, later by arrangement
  • Sauna slots
  • Reachable seven days a week
Why Grizzly?

The bear who came down from the Kaiser.

Every house has a story; ours has fur. Grizzly tells it himself, at length in the bedtime story and briefly here.

It was a winter when the snow reached the window sills. I was a young bear then and lived up in the Kaiser, in a cave below the Ellmauer Halt. It is beautiful up there, but cold, and that winter was colder than usual. So one night I trudged down through the forest, across the piste that wasn't a piste yet, to a house on the slope with smoke coming out of its chimney.

The door wasn't locked; it never was here. Inside a fire was burning, in front of it lay a rug, and on that rug I lay down, just for a moment, to get warm. When I woke up, a family was sitting round me: a woman with a basket of bread rolls, a man with a log in his hand, and three children who weren't in the least afraid. The youngest gave me a roll. That was the mistake.

Because I have never left since. I waited for spring, then for summer, then for another winter, and at some point the family named the house after me. Not “Bär”, the village already had one of those, but Grizzly, because the child said I looked like one. Today I live in the Bear's Den under the roof, keep an eye on the house, put the towels in the sauna in the evening and tell stories. The rolls still come every morning. I count them.

Two children in bear costumes with a sledge in the snow
Grizzly, since the winter with all the snow
The whole story (PDF) Grizzly's adventure stories

“Servus, I'm Grizzly. Yes, a bear, but not the one from the village. I'm the one who lives up under the roof and knows which apartment you're sleeping in. If you hear me snoring, you've found me.”Grizzly, the house bear

What we stick to

Five things that hold in this house.

No mission statements, only what you always get from us, and what we won't be talked out of.

Honest pricesThe price on this website is the lowest there is. No platform mark-ups, no hidden costs; final cleaning and tourist tax are stated openly. Children under 6 stay free, the dog costs €8 a day, and you read that here before you book.
QuietThe house stands at the top of the Kirchbichl, at 820 m, above the village. No bar on the ground floor, no nightlife outside the door. From ten in the evening the mountain belongs to the children who are asleep, and to the parents by the fire.
Children welcomeCot and high chair free of charge. The Bear's Den with its bunk bed, the rainy-day box, Grizzly's storybook.
Dogs welcomeIn all apartments, €8 per day. Please mention your dog when you book; sofas and beds stay dog-free. Grizzly has nothing against dogs, as long as they leave his rolls alone.
Book directBest price, free cancellation up to three months before arrival, sauna and ski room included. You book online with instant confirmation, and if you have questions, Elfi and Alois can be reached in person, with no call centre.
What guests say

What guests write on Google.

4.547 reviews on Google
“Exceptionally friendly welcome. Everything is shown and explained. Very well equipped. You can ski onto the piste straight from the house. We're looking forward to some relaxing days!”
Birgit H.Google review · 2026
“We stayed here for a week. A spectacular view of the Wilder Kaiser. It was lovely. […] The manager was very nice and also gave us tips for outings. […] We were very happy... thank you for the wonderful time.”
Kathrin S.Google review · 2024
“Great place to stay for two. Right on the piste with a lovely view. Also a good ski cellar and a small sauna. […]”
Tim J.Google review · 2024

Original quotes from Google reviews, translated from German and shortened where marked […]. You can read all 47 reviews, including the critical ones, on Google.

The house

Kirchbichl 32, outside and in.

Our own pictures, no stock photos: the chalet in both seasons, the Grizzly Suite under the roof and the four apartments.

Chalet Grizzly in winter, snow-covered roofs, the Wilder Kaiser behind Wooden staircase with carved balustrade in the Grizzly Suite Chalet Grizzly in summer with wooden balconies and flowers Chalet Grizzly from the garden, meadow and spruces Grizzly Suite: daybed beneath the vaulted ceiling, arched door to the balcony with mountain views Grizzly Suite: dining area with laid table and chandelier Apartment Mozart: four-poster bed with red-and-white checked linen Apartment Maximilian: living room with green sofa and Wilder Kaiser views Apartment Sissi: living room with green walls and corner bench
Grizzly Suite The apartments
FAQ

Questions for your hosts

Short, honest answers — just as we'd give them on the phone. Is your question missing? Write to us

Who welcomes us when we arrive?
Martina, our housekeeper, is on site and does the check-in. She shows you the apartment and the ski room and puts you down for your first sauna slot. Check-in is from 3 pm, and later in the evening by arrangement. Elfi and Alois Knürr are your hosts and look after their guests personally.
Why is the house called Chalet Grizzly?
Because of the bear. The short version: one winter a bear came down from the Kaiser, warmed himself by the fire and never left. The long version is told by Grizzly himself on this page and in the bedtime story “Grizzly and the Wilder Kaiser”. There is also a hotel in Ellmau with “bear” in its name; that is a different house. We are Grizzly.
Will you give us tips for days out?
Yes, and honest ones. Elfi and Alois know the seven adventure worlds, the toboggan runs and the alpine huts with walking times for children, and they will also tell you what is better left out with a three-year-old. In every apartment there is Grizzly's folder with the timetables and the weekly programmes; anything new is in Grizzly's blog.
How do we reach you before and during our stay?
By phone on +43 5358 44530, by email at kontakt@chalet-grizzly.at. During your stay Martina can be reached seven days a week; the number is next to the door in every apartment. For sauna slots and questions about the snow, a message the evening before is enough.
Grizzly's family

The fire is lit.
Come in.The meadow is mown.
Come in.

Choose your dates and book online direct. Confirmation comes instantly, and Grizzly's book is already in your apartment.

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